Electric signal.



ion.

CHARLES M. SAEGER, OF ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. SAEGER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at -Allentown, in the county of Lehigh and same, and designed to detect and report any train which may violate the general rule against passing block signals when in clan-e ger or stop position. The device will send a record to headquarters, usually the despatchers office, the instant a train passes a block signal when its semaphore or target is in stop or danger position, and the number of this signal (all signals being properly numbered) will be indicated, as well as the exact time of passing the same. As all railroadsmaintain a train sheet at the despatohers ofiice, containing a complete record of all trains, the offending train can readily be identified by consulting such train sheet, and proper disciplinary measures taken.

The various systems of automatic block signals. used on railroads are, as a rule, very satisfactory, and if the rules governing the use thereof were strictly observed by the 10- comotive engineers, these systems would be practically infallible. However, such is not the case, as the numerous wrecks occurring in allparts of the country, occasioned by engineers running past stop signals, show that the block signal system cannot control this human element, namely a disobedient or careless engineer. This is the weak spot or defect of automatic block signals, which is covered or controlled by the present invention, the same reporting all infringement of the rules. An engineer knowing that the apparatus is in use on his road, and cognizant ofthe fact that his job is at stake on the first infringement of the rule against passing signals when in stop position, will be apt to be intensely \igilant, and thus infringement of the rule will be of extremely rare occurrence,

Specification of Letters Patent.

and frequent train 7 Patented June 15, 1915.

' Application filed February 15, 1915. Serial No. 8,251.

In order that the invention may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing, in which 1 Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a similar View showing certain parts in another position.

Referring specifically to the drawing, it will be seen that the invention consists of a metallic main electrical circuit from each block signal on anyrailroad system operating such signals, and extending to some central station, usually the despatchers office. This circuit has at the annunoiator board with drops showing numbers of all the block signals on a division, and also a stop clock to record the time of any drop in action; or a standard recording instrument, with paper on which the number of signal and time will 'be' graphically recorded. Various other recording devices may be employed, the particular type of such apparatus not being material. a

The drawings show diagrammatically a suitable recording instrument or apparatus K from which the conductors 1 and 2"ofthe main circuit'extend. A block signal semaphore arm is shown at D to whichthe conductor 1 is connected in such a manner that the circuit is, closed only when said arm is in a horizontal or When the semaphore arm is in vertical (proceed) or at an angle caution position, the circuit is broken. Any suitableswitch controlled by the semaphore arm as describedmay be em ployed. From this'switch the conductor 1 is continued and connected to one pole of a battery F or other source of electric energy, and from the other pole of the battery the conductor extends and is connected to an insulated rail section A of the track. The conductor 2 extends from strument K and connects with afstandard relay E at the contact H, and thence continues from the armature-lever J of the relay to a rail section 1 site the section A.; Next to the rail sections A, A and insulated therefrom, are-rail sections B and B which are also insulated from the main blockrails Cand C The rails A and A and B, B are located at the entrance of the block, the rails A a nd A office some standard stop position.

always open or' the recording inof the track oppo-v following train.

being the first ones, so that a train entering the block first passes over said rails, and then over the rails B and B before passing to the main block rails C and C The rails A and A are also insulated from the main block rails of the preceding block.

At G is shown a local battery or other source of electric energy. From one pole of this battery a conductor 3 extends and is connected to the rail section B A conductor i from the other pole of the battery is connected to the windings of the relay E and then extends and is connected to the rail section B.

The operation of the device is as follows: When a train is in the block on the rails C and C the semaphore arm D is thrown to horizontal position, calling for a stop of any The main circuit controlling the recording instrument K is now closed at D, and the relay circuit being open, the armature lever J touches the contact H closing the main circuit at this point. The circuit is, however, still open between the rails A and A Now, if a train enters the rails A and A in an attempt to pass the block signal, the main circuit is closed by the current passing from rail 'A to rail A through the engine or car axles. The main circuit being now closed at all points, a rec- 0rd will be made by the instrument K in the despatchers office. The exact time of record is also made, and thus the infringement of the rule is recorded and reported, and by consulting the train sheet, the number of the train, engine and name of engineer can be determined. When the rails C, C of the block are unoccupied, the semaphore arm D will be vertical, opening the main circuit at this point, and then any train may pass over rails A, A and B, B without a report being made at the despatchers ofiice.

fter a train has passed the rails A, A and B, B and entered onto rails 0, C the semaphore arm D will fall to horizontal or stop position, and without the insulation of rails B, B and the use of the relay E connected to these rails, a false report would be sent, as one or more of the cars of the train may still be on the rails A, A The function, therefore, of rails B, B and relay E, is to open or break the main circuit and prevent reporting as long as any cars are on the rails B, B The current from source passing through the car axles when on rails B, B completes the auxiliary or relay circuit, drawing up the armature J of the relay E, thus breaking the main circuit at H, as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be readily seen that the invention is absolutely independent of the main block signal system, and the operation of the latter is not interfered with. A simple attachment to the semaphore shaft to open or close a switch is all that is required, and there is no electrical connection with the block signal apparatus. The invention may be operated. with either a closed or open circuit as may be desired.

I claim l. The combination with a railway block signal system; of a track section at the entrance of the block having its rails insulated from the main block rails, an electric circuit having conductors connected respectively to the rails of said track section, a recording apparatus operatively connected to the cir cuit, and a switch in said circuit governed by the condition of the signal device of the block, the circuit being closed at said switch when the signal device indicates stop.

2. The combination with a railway block signal system; of a track section at the entrance of the block having its rails insulated from the main block rails, an electric circuit having conductors connected respectively to the rails of said track section, a recording apparatus operatively connected to the circuit, and a switch in said circuit governed by the condition of the signal device of the block, the circuit being closed at said switch when the signal device indicates stop, and means for opening the circuit after a train passes onto the main block rails with a portion of said train remaining on the rails of the aforesaid track section.

3. The combination with a railway block signal system; of separate track sections at the entrance of the block having their rails insulated from each other and from the main block rails, a main electric circuit having conductors connected respectively to the rails of one of saidtrack sections, a recording apparatus operatively connected to the main circuit, a switch in said circuit governed by the condition of the signal device of the block, the switch being closed when the signal device indicates stop, and an electrically-operated circuit making and breaking device for the main circuit, said circuit including a current source and conductors connected to the rails of the other track section, said rails being in advance of the rails of the first mentioned track section.

4:- The combination with a railway block signal system; of separate track sections at the entrance of the block having their rails insulated from each other and from the main block rails, a main electric circuit having conductors connected respectively to the rails of one of said track sections, a record ing apparatus operatively connected to the main circuit, a switch in said circuit governed by the condition of the signal device of the block, the switch being closed when the signal device indicates stop, and an auxiliary electric circuit includng a current source, a relay and conductors connected to the rails of the other track section, said rails being in advance of the rails of the first mentioned track section, said relay controlling the main circuit.

5. The combination with a railway block signal system; of an electric circuit, a recording apparatus operatively connected to the circuit, a switch in said circuit governed by the condition of the signal device of the block, the switch being closed when the signal device indicates stop, and traincontrolled circuit closing means in said circuit at the entrance of the block.

6. The combination with a railway block signal system; of an electric circuit, a recording apparatus operatively connected to the circuit, a switch in said circuit governed by the condition of the signal device of the block, the switch being closed when the signal device indicates stop, train-controlled circuit closing means in said circuit at the entrance of the block, and means for opening the circuit after a train passes into the block with a portion of said train remaining outside the block.

The combination with a railway block signal system; of a main electric circuit, a recording apparatus operatively connected to said circuit, a switch for the main circuit governed by the condition of the signal device of the block, the switch being closed when the signal device indicates stop, an

electrically-operated auxiliary circuit making and breaking device for the main circuit, said auxiliary circuit including a current source, and separate train-controlled circuit closing means for the main and the auxiliary circuits at the entrance of the block, the auxiliary circuit closing means being in advance of the main circuit closing means.

8. The combination with a railway block signal system; of a main electric circuit, a recording apparatus operatively' connected to the main circuit, a switch in said circuit governed by the condition of the signal device of the block, the switch being closed when the signal device indicates stop, an

auxiliary electric circuit including a cur- CHARLES M. SAEGER.

Witnesses:

LLOYD J. SMITH, B. S. NICHOLS.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

